First Edition Cycling News for November 10, 2004

Edited by Hedwig Kröner & John Stevenson

Scott Sunderland starts new career with CSC

Scott Sunderland winning the GP Pino Cerami in 2001
Photo ©: Belga

After announcing his retirement in his Cyclingnews diary last week, Scott Sunderland lifted the tip of the veil concerning his immediate future. Today, Bjarne Riis, manager of the Danish professional cycling team CSC confirmed that Scott will join the team as a directeur sportif in 2005.

"It'll be really exciting to have Scott with us, and I think he'll be a good reinforcement of our team," Bjarne Riis told Cyclingnews. "Kim [Andersen, CSC sports director - ed.] and I had been talking about Scott working with the team. I first suggested he would ride the first three months - mainly because he's so familiar with the Belgian classics; and then move into the new job of team director. But Scott didn't feel good about that and I respect that," Riis explained.

Scott Sunderland, who is spending the winter in Europe, is looking forward to his new role, although the changes did come about very quickly: "Believe it or not, it's been a very full week for me and my family. My son Saën had a week of school holidays and I took him snowboarding every day. Over the weekend, after announcing my retirement, I have been trying to keep the news about my move to CSC quiet; not an easy thing!"

Click here for the full interview

More CSC news

At the press conference on Tuesday morning, more good news for Team CSC was announced: The Danish insurance and banking company Alm. Brand will extend and expand its sponsorship agreement with Team CSC until the end of 2007. Alm. Brand started its sponsorship at last year's Tour de France, where its logo was put on the team's cycling shorts.

At the moment, the squad's 25 riders and staff are preparing for their annual team building camp scheduled for December. Last year, the camp directed by team advisor B.S. Christensen, a former Danish commando was held on the Spanish island of Lanzarote; this year it will take place in Denmark.

"It's all about teaching people that they can achieve their goals by co-operating. They have to perform their very best under the worst possible circumstances, where every action has a consequence," Christensen explained on the team's website, team-csc.com.

"During the season, Bjarne and I observe in which areas the riders need to develop and subsequently I arrange the assignments, during which my intention is to give the riders a set of tools physically and mentally, which have to be in place before a crisis occurs. This is not just the case in cycling, but also in other sports, in business life and even in family life, and I'm puzzled by the fact that no other cycling team is using team building in some shape or form," said the elite soldier. "You have to put more pressure on the riders than the business men, both mentally and physically. When a rider is under a lot of pressure, he reacts very selfishly, and that's where I have to work with them. Cause when you're in the middle of the Tour de France, it's very important to keep up the team spirit, even when things aren't working out the way you thought they would," he pointed out.

An interview with Rudy Pevenage: "Preparing for next season sooner"

Rudy Pevenage at the 2003 Het Volk, where he was director of Team Coast
Photo ©: Jeff Jones

As the route for the 2005 Tour route was unveiled, Cyclingnews' Hedwig Kröner caught up with Jan Ullrich's long-time adviser and mentor Rudy Pevenage.

Rudy Pevenage, directeur sportif for Team Telekom until the end of 2002, and Walter Godefroot, team manager of the world's leading pro cycling team, T-Mobile, used to work in close partnership for Germany's biggest cycling talent, Jan Ullrich.

But things changed when the 1997 Tour de France winner left the squad in 2002 after testing positive for amphetamines. Pevenage followed Ullrich to Coast and in doing so became persona non grata at T-Mobile.

After learning to stand up for himself during the Coast saga, Ullrich made a superb comeback at the 2003 Tour de France with Bianchi. With Bianchi's sponsorship dollars drying up, Ullrich was allowed back into T-Mobile, bringing friend and team-mate Tobias Steinhauser and physiotherapist Birgit Krohme with him - but not Pevenage, who became Ullrich's 'personal advisor'. But apart from his victory at the Tour de Suisse, the German's season wasn't a very successful one, given T-Mobile's declared aim: another Tour victory.

Now, the whole of the cycling world wonders if this goal is ever going to be achieved - and if so, whether it will finally be next year...

Click here for the full interview.

New BeNeLux-Tour takes shape

The new UCI Pro Tour stage race BeNeLux-Tour, that will be held next season from August 3-10, is slowly taking shape. The organisers have now revealed that the races eight stages will be split equally between Belgium and the Netherlands, each country hosting 4 on its ground. According to Velomania.net, it is unlikely that the third country involved in the BeNeLux-Tour, Luxembourg, will receive a stage start or finish in the 2005 edition. The prologue will be held on August 3 in Belgium, and the race will end in the Netherlands with an individual time trial.

Kaiku team starts out

Kaiku, a new Spanish-based Continental team was launched in Pamplona, Spain yesterday. The team has grown from the previous amateur Caja Rural squad and is sponsored by a manufacturer of milk products. It will ride the UCI's new Continental series races, the step on the pro ladder below the Pro Tour.

The team is intended as a development squad for your professionals and will include five or six neo-pros among its 15-rider roster. The full line-up has not yet been confirmed, but looks set to include Ricardo Serrano (Cafés Baqué), Dioni Galparsoro (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Jon Bru (LA-Pecol), Ezequiel Mosquera (Carvalhelhos) and Adrián Palomares (Carvalhelhos) and elite riders from Caja Rural Pablo Urtasun, Jorge Azanza, Javier Ruiz de Larrinaga and Antonio Berasategui.

The team will be run by Oscar Guerrero and Floren Eskisabel who are currently directeur sportif and manager of the Caja Rural team, respectively.

With a budget of one million Euro per year, the team is very much intended as a springboard for its riders to move up to higher professional circles, according to Kaiku managing director Eneko Gárate. The non-profit Fundación Instituto Kaiku para la Salud (Kaiku Health Foundation) will support the team for two years after which it hopes to hand the team over to another sponsor.

Vainsteins to Phonak?

According to French website velostory.net, Romans Vainsteins is reported to be in contract negotiations with the Swiss cycling team Phonak for 2005. Last week, the Latvian rider clarified that he wasn't planning on retiring and that he intended to find a new team to continue racing next season.

Kabush signs with Jittery Joe's-Kalahari

The Jittery Joe's-Kalahari Team announced today the signing of Maxxis mountain biker Geoff Kabush to their roster for the 2005 season. The recently crowned Canadian national Cyclocross Champion will still race primarily for the Maxxis mountain bike team but will take to the asphalt for some key road races with Jittery Joe's.

"I am really excited to get to do some racing with the Jittery Joe's-Kalahari guys next season," said Geoff the day after his win at Canadian Cyclocross Nationals. "They are giving me the chance to participate in some big races like Dodge Tour de Georgia and USPRO Championships that I have been wanting to race for years."

Geoff Kabush races for Team Maxxis on the mountain bike and in cyclocross . He is the Canadian cyclocross national champion and was part of the gold medal relay team at the mountain bike world championships this past year. He also won numerous NORBA national events on his way to becoming the 2004 NORBA National overall champion.

Jose-Alberto Martinez to Agrubitel

Spanish rider Jose-Alberto Martinez Trinidad (Relax-Bodysol) has signed with the French-based Agritubel Continental team.

Sassone suspended

Robert Sassone has been suspended for two years by the French cycling federation (FFC) after he returned a positive test for a glucocorticosteroid at the 2003 Six days of Noumea. Sassone tested positive for betamethasone, used in skin creams to treat itching and inflammation. As with all glucocorticosteroids, its use by athletes is only permitted with a therapeutic use exemption.

Sassone was world champion in the Madison in 2001 and rode for Cofidis in 2003, but his contract was not renewed. Along with other former Cofidis riders he has been under investigation this year by French police investigating allegations of drug use and trafficking.

Didi Thurau 50

German ex-pro rider Dietrich "Didi" Thurau celebrated his 50th birthday yesterday. In his active days, Thurau was one of the few German riders to wear the Yellow jersey at the Tour de France. He started a wider public interest in cycling in his home country in 1977, when he was overall leader for 15 days at the race, finishing fifth behind Bernard Hinault that year. Thurau still rides his bike regularly, training with his 16-year old son Björn, who has been called into the German national team just recently.

Hincapie is a daddy

Discovery Channel team Classics specialist George Hincapie became a father last week when his girlfriend Melanie delivered Julia Paris Hincapie at 5:04pm on Wednesday November 3 in a Greenville, South Carolina, hospital.

Little Julia Paris weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Mother and new arrival are both doing fine.

Hincapie met Melanie, a native of the eastern French city of Dijon, during the 2003 Tour de France where she was one of the models accompanying the race entourage.

Gillies-Smith has baby boy

Shauna Gillies-Smith, two-time Canadian national cyclocross champion and 2003 cyclocross world's team member has given birth to a baby boy on Thursday, November 4. Her husband Byron Holt told Cyclingnews that after a year's pause for little Davis Peter, Shauna is contemplating a return to competition for the 2005-2006 season with the Gear Works/Spin Arts team.

Verge cross series continues this weekend

The Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series resumes this weekend with two UCI-sanctioned races in Farmington, CT and Northampton, MA on Saturday November 13 and Sunday November 14 respectively.

The weekend opens with the UCI Cat 2 Chainbiter 6.0 Cyclo-Cross on Saturday, and the Verge NECCS circus regroups the next day for the UCI Cat 1 14th Annual Cycle-Smart International presented by Steve Lewis Subaru. The USA's top cyclocross riders are all expected to ride both events.

In the Men's Elite race, Ryan Trebon (Kona), who won the UCI Cat. 1 race in Gloucester, will be looking to return to his winning ways of two weeks ago, and will face some fierce competition. The Maxxis-Giant team of Adam Craig and Jonny Sundt are certain to be right up at the front of the race, alongside perennial favourites Todd Wells (GT/Hyundai), Marc Gullickson (Redline), Mark McCormack (Clif Bar/Colavita Olive Oil), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Sierra Nevada Cycling), Jackson Stewart (Clif Bar), and Eric Tonkin (Kona). The contest for the lead in the U-23 series ranking will continue as well, with Matt White (NCC/BikeReg.com), Jesse Anthony (Cyclocrossworld.com), and Zak Grabowski (TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar) all expected to take part. White leads Anthony in the NECCS U-23 standings (100 point to 80). McCormack holds a slim lead over Trebon in the Verge NECCS overall standings (119 points to 110), and it very possible that a change atop the standings will take place this weekend.

The Women's Elite race will feature all of the riders that have been challenging for the overall lead in the Verge NECCS since Round One. After the first three rounds, Mary McConneloug (Seven Cycles) has a 20 point lead in the overall standings in front of Anna Milkowski (Rona) (110 points to 64), and after strong rides in the two Gloucester races is a big favorite for the wins this weekend. But she can expect a formidable challenge from former World's team member Gina Hall (Missing Link Bicycle Shop), who narrowly missed victories in Gloucester, and Barbara Howe and Christine Vardaros (Velo Bella). Other riders to watch will be Maureen Bruno (Cyclocrossworld.com), Sinead Fitzgibbon (Aquafina/CRCA), and Marianne Stover (Independent Fabrication). With Gina Hall expected to race the remainder of the season in New England, McConneloug can expect a big challenge to her annual dominance of the Verge NECCS.

For more information see www.necyclocross.com.

PA and MA, U.S. Cross Championships coming up

Pennsylvania Cyclocross Championship a fundraiser

The Carlisle Family YMCA's Yellow Breeches Racing team will host the 2004 Pennsylvania State Cyclo-Cross Championship in conjunction with the South Middleton Community Bazaar on Saturday, November 13. Races for all ability levels begin at 9 am with the free "Lil' Belgians" kid's race and conclude at 2:30 pm with the Elite men's race. Other races during the day include beginner's race, a relay, and numerous races for juniors and adult racers.

The competition will be contested on the Boiling Springs High School cross-country running course and will feature a variety of natural and man-made obstacles including the steep run-up of "Houston Falls". A number of local racers are expected to compete against riders from all across the Mid-Atlantic.

The Championship event will raise funds for the Carlisle Family YMCA. For race information, visit www.highspeedcycling.com.

Plymouth, MA Cyclo-Cross on November 20

The Plymouth Cyclo-Cross is scheduled for November 20 at Plymouth North High School, Obery St, Plymouth, MA. The event is one of the longest running cyclo-cross races in New England and also the site of the 1986 and 1988 USCF National Cyclo Cross Championships. This year, Plymouth will also host the Massachusetts State Championships. The newly designed course is longer than the original Championship course, making it a suitable venue for all levels of riders. Racing starts at 10 pm with the feature race, Elite Men will begin their laps at 2 pm.

For more information visit www.planetpeloton.com.
For registration information visit www.bikereg.com.

Estonian Div. III team to stay

The only Estonian professional road racing team, Kalev Chocolate-Merida, will continue to be part of the peloton in 2005. The Division III team will be backed by a different co-sponsor next season and therefore changes names to Kalev Chocolate - Classic Bicycles Team.

The team's full roster includes eight riders: Sigvard Kukk (41st in Athens Olympics mountain bike race), Oskari Kargu, Andri Lebedev, Andrei Laptsenkov, Mirko Põldma, Mart Ojavee, Priit Prous and Janar Jermakov.

Carney heads expanded track team

Cyclingnews diarist Jame Carney will be rider/coach to an expanded Northwestern Mortgage Cycling Team for 2005. The new team will have an elite and a development arm, and incorporates the Fuji Bicycle's T.E.A.M. Fuji squad. As well as Carney - a 2000 Olympian and 2004 US points race champions - the team includes 2004 US individual pursuit champion Bobby Lea and 2004 US sprint and 500m champion Becky Conzelman.

The team has already started racing, with Carney and Conzelman travelling to Moscow this past weekend for the first round of the world cup series. They'll follow that with a stint in Australia for the Christmas track carnivals, followed by the Sydney round of the world cup February 18-20 and the world track championships in Los Angeles, March 24-27. As well as the full summer program at the team's 'home base' of Lehigh Valley Velodrome, the squad will also roll out on the road for US NRC races such as the Tour of the Gila, Joe Martin Stage Race and Nature Valley Grand Prix.

The full team roster is:

Elite: Jame Carney, Bobby Lea, Mike Friedman, Joshua Kerkhof, Guillaume Nelessen and Becky Conzelman

Developmental: Brian Friend, Shane Kline , Rich Schenck, Colleen Hayduk, Lauren Shirock, and Erica Allar

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